PREP SCENE FEATURES QUALITY ON THE LANES

I have not. I'm guessing the majority of folks haven't.

I did come really close though. Last Saturday, I attended the LHSAA State Bowling Championships (for those of you who didn't know, bowling is a sanctioned high school sport here in Louisiana).

A very large and rowdy crowd gathered at All-Star Lanes in Baton Rouge for the semi finals and finals. In the finals, Rummel bowler Brian Bodenheimer had folks on the edge of their seats as he went to the perfect game. I started paying attention in the 6th frame. With so much going on, and so many lanes at once, I wondered how many people had noticed what was going on. As he continued, I started to wonder why no one had said anything. The announcer was consistently announcing people's scores, but said nothing about Bodenheimer... he didn't bring any attention to it at all.

Maybe it's bowling superstition. You jinx it, if you talk about it. Once the 10th frame hit... still nothing. I expected silence. He got a strike on his first roll, so he needed just two more to finish it out. On the second roll, he left one pin (dramatically at that – it wobbled!), ending his quest at perfection.

He'd pick up the spare, and finish with a 289... which is a score it'd take me three games to bowl. Congratulations to him, and the Rummel Raiders, who won the title.